Web-flexing apparatus



July 3, 1951 G. s. slLLARs 2,558,788 WEB-FLEXING APPARATUS Filed April1e, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 3, 1951 G. s. slLLARs WEB-FLEXINGAPPARATUS Filed April 16, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1951'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB-FLEXING APPARATUS George S. ISylil'lars, Beverly, Mass., assignor to Hoague-Sprague Corporation,Lynn, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 16,;1948,Serial No. 21,423

Claims. v(Cl. 242-55) material is delivered from large diameter supply,

rolls from YWhichit is fed ata rate slightly in excess of that at whichthe material is to be used in the manufacture of the blanks. Between thesupply roll andthe blank-forming mechanism ther material slowlyaccumulates, by reason of its rate of feed, in a cage, the purpose ofwhich is to permit continuous operation of the blank-forming machineduring the splicing of material from a new supply roll onto the trailingend of the Web after the roll from which it has been drawn is exhaused.During the time that the material is being drawn from a fresh roll thediameter of the roll is great enough so that no substantial curl ispresent in the material after it is withdrawn from lthe roll and isformed into discrete box blanks. However, after the roll issubstantially exhausted and its diameter has decreased appreciably, thecurvature of the roll is such that the web of material has a greattendency to curl and because of the thickness of the shell material ascommonly employed in the manufacture of box blanks, the finished blanksmay not be fiat.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved mechanismfor flexing the web of material in a direction opposite to that in whichit is curved on the supply roll during the with.

roll onto the second support is utilized, in accordance with a featureof the invention, to operate a flexing roll for imparting a bend in thematerial opposite to that in which it is curved when being withdrawnfrom the supply roll. This reverse bend counteracts the normal tendencyof the material to bend in one direction, thus facilitating theformation of flat blanks. The flexing roll is locked in operativeposition until the roll is exhaused and the feeding of the web istemporarily suspended to permit splicing the end of the web roll ontothe trailing end of the web from the exhaustedA roll. When the feed isthus suspended, however, the flexing roll is rendered ineffective untilthe new roll has been substantially exhaused and is moved onto thesecond support. Y

vThe above and other features of the invention. including novelcombinations of parts anddetails of construction, will now be describedby reference to the drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, v Fig. 1 is an angular view of one form of mecha- Anism in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a section through the flexing rolls of Fig. 1; and y `Fig. 3is an angular view of the flexing rolls and associated mechanism.

Referring to Fig. l, a pair of rails I0 are provided for supportingsupply rolls of shell material. These rails are supported at asufficient height above the floor and are suitably spaced to accommodatebetween them the rolls of material. Carried by the rails aretransversely alined pairs of bearing rolls I2, I2, I4, I4, the rollsI2', I2 being provided for supporting a fresh roll R; of shell materialwhich is transferred to the rolls I4, I4 after the roll has beensubstantially exhausted. The web of material is drawn from the roll Rupwardly between guide rods I6, I6 carried by plates I8 secured todepending portions 20 of spaced walls 22 at the end of a cage oraccumulator 24. The Web passes upwardly between guides 26 carried by thewalls 22 and is fed by feed rolls 28, 30 located near the upper end ofthe accumulator. The roll 28 is driven in any suitable manner (notshown) and carries a pinion 32 engageable with a pinion 34 on the shaftof the roll 30 so that during the normal operation of the apparatus therolls rotate in unison. The roll 3U is journaled in the ends of arms 36carried by a shaft 38 which is, in turn, journaled in brackets 48 in thewalls 22. A spring 4I, connected between one of the arms 36 and theadjacent wall 22` acts to maintain the roll 30 in feeding relationshipwith the roll 28. Journaled in th Walls 22 below the arms 36 is a shaft42 having slabbedolf portions 44 which, with the rolls in the positionsshown in Fig. l, lie just below the arms 36. By rotating the shaft 42,the portions of the shaft adjacent to the slabbed-off portions 44 engagethe arms and raise them, thus moving the roll 30 out of feedingrelationship to the roll 28 so that the feeding movement of the web fromthe supply roll is interrupted.

tween guide plates 50 between which it is directed along the top of thecage after whichv it,passes` downwardly over a curved guide plate 52 andfalls in folds in the cage 24 as illustrated. 'f

Journaled in plates 54 secured to" and`proje'ctj'- ing outwardly fromthe walls 22 is a pair' of spaced flexing rolls 56. cooperates with theflexing rolls 56, when the roll 58 is in the position shown in Fig. 2,to bend the" web of material as illust-rated. The flexing roll 58`i`sjournaled in bearings 60 (Fig) which 'areY c' ied--by the endsv ofro'ds52 slidable in bear- "84 extending inwardly from' the walls 22. 'Iheserodsv and the roll 58 are normally urged away fro'mthe rolls 55 so thatno flexing is' im# parted to the web as it passes between the rolls. Forthus holding the roll 58, the rods 62 arecon# nec'tedby'a transversely'extending rod B'having sleeves 61 at its ends encircling the rods |32.Therif'c'jd 66 isstraddled by the forked endoffan arm G8" secured to andextending upwardly'froiii a shaft 'I0 journaledk in the plates `54. Alsovsecured' tothe shaftl 'ill' lexternally of one 0f the plates 541s anarm 'I2 to which is adjustably se# c'i'red a heavy weightfl The weight'acts normally to move the'shaft 'i0 in a clockwise die reetio'n (asviewed-in Figs. 2 and 3) se that the rods 52 and the roll 5S are niove'das a uni-t away freni the'v rolls 56. Y

Pivotally carried by one of the rails I' ad'- jacent to the bearingrolls I4 is an arm T6 'pre'- vided on its upper surface with a layer ofbrake material 'I8 arranged to be engaged 'by a' brake driir'n 8|! onthe' shaft of the partially exhausted supply roll upon movement of thesupply roll onto'the'be'aring rolls' I4,1 I4. The plate 75 is connectedby an adjustable link 82 with one armV 8f! ijf a bell crank lever 85pivote'd at 88 tothe' bottom of the cage 211. Another arm 93' o"f theleen crank lever is connected by a `link 92 to er; arm 94 Secured tov'andde'p'ending from the 4shaft 7U. the bearing rolls le the plate I6 isheld inthe' elevated position shown in Fig. 43 by the weight 'l'dfactingto turn the shaft 110' in a clockwise 'dirctio'n. 1 However, th'e weightof--the 'roll of nia'- teri'al when moved into theright-ha-nd positionoh'the rails i8', VIi--i's sufficient to oveieome the' effect of the-weight lli, thus moving the plate 'iii dowhwardly into engagement withthe end -of stopscr'ew S5 on a bracket 98 secured to the 'ade jaeentraili5. This downward movement offt'he plate 'rdcau'ses the shaft i9 to turnin a 'countercloekwis direction whereupon the'flexing roll is moved intothe position shown i'n Fig. 2. Thus the movement of the flexing rollinte operative position is simultaneous and automatic with the movementof the supply 'roll onto 'the bearing rolls' si, la.

As the material continues to thenow substantially exhausted supplyroll,the weight of the roll decreases to such fan extent that it isno longerable to 'counterbalanc'ev the weight'l Accordingly, mechanism isprovided for locking the flexing roll'58 in its Voper'a'trve posi-L Aslong as no 'supply roll is positioned on.

Vbe drawn *from* 4 tion after it has been thus moved. Pivoted in thecage about a pin |00 which extends parallel to the rods '62 is a bar|02. The pin |00 is located substantially nearer one of the rods 62 thanthe other so that the bar is unbalanced and tends to rotate in acounterclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3) about the pin. With theflexing roll 58 iii ite re't'raictedl position, 'one e'nd'of thejbar |02rests'on th topof the"left=ha'nd'Y rod 62" and its other end |04underlies the other rod 52, which rods thus prevent turning of the armabout the pin` |00.,v However, as soon as the roll 58 has been movedinto operative position, as hereto- Hfiere explained, the' rods 62 moveout of engageis filent witrihthe -bar |02 which then swings in acunt'erclkwise direction until one end of the b'ar'engages'a bracket |06carried by the adjacent wall 22.* This bracket is so disposed thatmove-v mentof the bar will be` arrested when the ends thereof aredirectly behind the ends of the rods 522 "Las shown in Fig'. 2)'.Accordingly, as longas tlie'bar |02 is held in this position, theflexingroll 55 i's locked in operative position against the actioii ofthe weight .i4

The bar' |02 islheldin its locking position until' tn'ejfe'ed reu Saismoved away from the fee-d ren 28, 'at which time the' bar |02 iSreturned t0k thev Sil' is moved away from' ltheroll 28,A and arm |08" isse'euredtoth'e outer end of the shaft 42 one end of which arrn is'connected by a downwardly ex'- tending link II'0 to the arm I I2 of acrank lI I4 pivbte'd at IIE in one 'of the walls 22' of the cage. 'benupward `mo'v'eiiflent vof the crank h2 tlie shft Yis turned in ClekWSe"direction to 'move the' feed roll V3'() away fr'on the roll 28. f'Conneted to -th 'other end of the arm |08 by a link Vil is a frod |f|-8movable vertically in a vsleeve 125 :formed at the Outer end of a,bracket |22 Secured tothe'cage. Upon clockwise movement of' the ar'rfn-'|958 te' interrupt the feeding of the (Webfthe rod I'llis-rrl'oyeddownwardly into engagement weight of the-roll shaft and inves theflexing 5m roll 58 back into' its retracted position, in which position'it remains until another roll of mate'- rial has beenmoved'onto'the'bearing rollsNl, Iil.

From the aboveit wil-1 v5beseen that the flexing .roll 58 fisautomatically moved intoy Aoperative position in respdrise tov.I'noi/"ement of the vsupply rb'l'l 'intothe Aposition which `itvassunxes when it is substantially exhausted and that the flexing rollwill remain iin this position untill'the feedlof the web isinterrupted.*rims the nenn-g lrolls ere' ated "and Aare rendered-ineffectivewithout-ahy e'iort on :the part -of the 'operator additional to thatwhich-'is ciiiinnly required in niovingthe rollso'f material nandA:making the splice 0f 'ia-HSW roll onto 'the yend fof `Ian -`'exhaustedroll.

jHaVig ythus described -'my "invention, what Clirn as new 'anti "desireto 's'ecu're Vby Letters if. Wbfeeiiing apparatus l1com'prising firstsupply -rou support, fa :second 'supply ron port, cooperating feed rollsfor drawing a web of material from a supply roll on either of saidsupports, means for flexing the web during its withdrawal from a roll onthe second of said supports, means for separating said feed rolls tointerrupt the feed of the web, and means operative in response toseparation of said rolls for rendering said flexing means inoperative.

2. Web-feeding apparatus comprising a rst supply roll support, a secondsupply roll support, a exing roll past which said web is guided as it isdrawn from a roll on either of said supports, means normally holdingsaid flexing roll in inoperative position, and means operative inresponse to movement of a supply roll from the rst supply roll supportonto said second support for moving said flexing roll into operativeposition.

3. Web-feeding apparatus comprising a first supply roll support, asecond supply roll support, a pair of feed rolls for drawing a web froma roll on either of said supports, means for causing separation of saidfeed rolls to interrupt the feeding of the web, a flexing roll pastwhich said web is guided as it is drawn from a roll on either of saidSupports, means normally holding said flexing roll in inoperativeposition, means operative in response to movement of a supply roll fromthe first supply roll support onto said second support for moving saidexing roll into operative position, means for locking said flexing rollin operative position, and means oper- 'ative upon separation of saidfeed rolls for releasing said locking means.

4. Web-feeding apparatus comprising a pair of feed rolls for drawing aweb from a supply roll, a pair of spaced rolls engageable with one sideof the web, a exing roll engageable with the other side of the web andcooperating with said spaced rolls to bend the web reversely as itpasses over said rolls, means mounting said flexing roll for movementinto and out of operative relation to said spaced rolls, means acting tomove the exing roll into inoperative position, means for moving saidexing roll into operative position, means operative upon movement of theflexing roll into operative position for locking said roll in saidposition, means for separating said feed rolls, and means operated bysaid separating means for releasing said locking means.

5. Web-feeding apparatus comprising a first supply roll support, asecond supply roll support, a pair of feed rolls for drawing a web froma supply roll on either of said supports, a pair of spaced rollsengageable with one side of the web as it is withdrawn from either ofsaid supply rolls, a flexing roll engageable with the other side of theweb and cooperating with said spaced rolls to bend the web reversely asit passes over said rolls, means mounting said flexing roll for movementinto and out of operative relation to said spaced rolls, means acting tomove said flexing roll into inoperative position, means operative inresponse to movement of a supply roll onto said second support formoving the exing roll into operative position, means for locking saidflexing roll in operative position, means for separating said feedrolls, and means operated by said separating means for releasing saidlocking means.

GEORGE S. SILLARS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,558,788July 3, 1951 GEORGE S. SILLARS It is hereby certified that error appearsin the printed specication of the above numbered patent requrmgcorrection as follows:

Column 1 line 55 for exhaused read exhausted column 2 line 2 after ,$7 3(C a a the Word web first occurrence, msert of a new; llne 6, forexhaused read exhausted;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, sothat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ollee.Signed and sealed this 4th day of September, A. D. 1951.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant ommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

